Undecided voters shop to last minute in New Hampshire

By Anne K Walters Jan 10, 2012, 2:02 GMT

Washington - Ray and Pat Devone spent their final hours before Tuesday's first-in-the nation primary election attending rallies for candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

For the six Republican White House hopefuls, the couple represented the last-minute prize - the undecided voter - that had them hustling around this small New England state on Monday trying to secure support.

As the clock ticked down to one of the most highly watched episodes of political theatre in US politics, the candidates held town hall meetings and moved briskly through restaurants shaking hands.

The New Hampshire primary has traditionally opened the process to nominate presidential candidates, offering the first real vote after Iowa's internal party caucusses. Voters in this New England state pride themselves on being able to evaluate candidates up close and in person, with many racking up visits with as many politicians as possible.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is highly favoured, with some 35 per cent support in a survey by Public Policy Polling released Sunday, but some 24 per cent of voters said they were not firmly committed to any one candidate.

That figure was enough to fire up each candidate in the waning hours as they hoped to survive the primary and gain enough momentum and money to compete in contests in South Carolina and Florida later this month.

The Devones were undecided in part because they take the business of picking a president very seriously.

'This is a crisis time for the US and we don't want to see the current president back in office again,' said Pat, 69, adding that she would not vote for Romney in the primary but would support him if he is the party's nominee against Barack Obama.

The couple liked what Santorum, a former US senator, had to say in more than 90 minutes of off-the-cuff remarks and questions and answers. They were concerned especially about social issues and veterans benefits, but were going to take time to talk and pray about their decision.

In the end, reflecting the feelings of many New Hampshire voters, they said they want a candidate who is electable. That has largely helped Romney, but other candidates also appear to have benefited.

Ron Paul, a Texas congressman who represents the libertarian wing of the party - with his disdain for big government and a desire for a more isolationist foreign policy - has drawn strong support among young people, but been largely written off by the party establishment.

Paul looks likely to come in second in New Hampshire, and was able to swing at least one voter to his side Monday.

'I think we need Ron Paul,' said Sarah Clarke, at a townhall forum held by her employer, the clothing and boot manufacturer Timberland. She had previously thought of supporting Romney, but hearing Paul in person and noting his honesty on difficult issues may have swayed her, said Clarke, who identifies as an independent voter and not as a Republican.

At a rally over the weekend, Romney seemed to draw wide support both from more moderate Republicans and independents, but also from those who simply see him as a likeable guy and appreciate his work in neighbouring Massachusetts.

In a high school gymnasium, Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the US House of Representatives who is fourth in the opinion polls, painted a different picture. He was quick to attack Romney and has drawn fire from fellow Republicans for backing a film portraying Romney as a job killer during his lucrative stint as head of his investment company, Bain Capital.

Gingrich instead sees himself as the man with the most experience and most able to take on Obama.

'Imagine the debates in October, who do you want to have standing toe-to-toe with Obama,' he told an enthusiastic crowd of several hundred. 'I simply believe I am more likely to beat Obama than any of my competitors.'

Maureen and Bob St Jean appeared to agree, calling Gingrich impressive and brilliant.

'Obama was a beginner, we can't risk another beginner,' said Maureen, 71, who had also been toying with voting for Jon Huntsman, a former Utah governor and US ambassador to China. Huntsman has poured all his efforts into convincing voters here to pick him, choosing to sit out the Iowa contest last week.

But Gingrich appeared to have won over the St Jeans after they listened to him.

Santorum also portrayed himself as a strong challenger against Obama, telling voters he could energize the party by giving conservatives a candidate to be excited about.

The former senator from Pennsylvania, who ended just eight votes behind Romney in Iowa, may be on to something. Much of the focus of party loyalists has been on finding a more conservative alternative to Romney in recent months, but though several have briefly risen to the forefront, none have been able to stay there.

After so much time and effort working to win over the voters in the state with just 1 million residents, candidates are already thinking ahead to doing it all over again in the next 48 state votes to come.